The class of linear alternating polymers of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon has been known for some time. Nozaki, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 3,694,412, produced such polymers in the presence of arylphosphine complexes of palladium moieties and certain inert solvents. More recently, production of the linear alternating polymers has been illustrated by a number of published European Patent Applications including Nos. 121,965 and 181,014. The polymer production typically involves contacting the reactants under polymerization conditions in the presence of a catalyst composition formed from a compound of palladium, the anion of a strong non-hydrohalogenic acid and a bidentate ligand of phosphorus. These polymers, now known as polyketones or polyketone polymers, have established utility as premium thermoplastics. They are processable by conventional procedures such as injection molding and thermoforming into a variety of shaped articles of recognized utility. Many polyketones are produced from ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbons of relatively low moleular weight, e.g., ethylene or propylene. However, published European Patent Application 235,865 shows production of copolymers of carbon monoxide and n-octene-1 and terpolymers of carbon monoxide, ethylene and n-dodecene-1.
It is also well known that hydrocarbon oils such as gas oils, diesel oils, lubricating oils and most crude oils contain considerable quantities of paraffin. When these paraffinic oils are used or processed at low temperatures, difficulties can and do arise because of the crystallization of the paraffins in the hydrocarbon oil. In order to obviate these difficulties, it is customary to include within the oil a polymeric additive, often a high molecular weight polymer of ethylene and vinyl acetate. These polymers tend to lower the pour point, the cloud point and the cold filter plugging point of the hydrocarbon oil and facilitate the use, storage or transportation of the oil. Thus, these ethylene/vinyl acetate polymers do improve the low temperature properties of the hydrocarbon oils, and indeed some are commercially accepted for these purposes. However, it would be of advantage to provide new hydrocarbon oil compositions containing other polymeric additives, which compositions have improved low temperature properties.